Hollywood Rhythm Vol. 02 - The Best of Big Bands & Swing

Starring:Helen Kane, Millard Mitchell, Donald Kirke, Ruth Etting, Bing Crosby, Marjorie Kane, Franklin Pangborn, Harry Bowen, Toby Wing, Alice Belcher, Bud Jamison, William McCall, Mary Treen, Artie Shaw, Helen Forrest, Ginger Rogers, Clairborne Bryson, E.R. Rogers, Lillian Roth
Director: Casey Robinson, Joseph Santley, Leslie Pearce
Studio: Kino Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The musical shorts collected on Hollywood Rhythm: The Best of Big Bands and Swing (Vol. 2) are delightful, but purists may note that these pieces only occasionally intersect with either big band or swing music. "Artie Shaw's Class in Swing," which deconstructs the elements of the big band sound, qualifies on both counts. What really comes shining through on this collection is the sheer weirdness of early-sound short films, caught somewhere between the slapstick of silent comedy and the music video of the future. How else to explain 1932's "The Musical Doctor," a surreal vehicle for Rudy Vallee, in which the 1920s crooner plays a physician prescribing music for health?

Amazon.com

The musical shorts collected on Hollywood Rhythm: The Best of Big Bands and Swing (Vol. 2) are delightful, but purists may note that these pieces only occasionally intersect with either big band or swing music. "Artie Shaw's Class in Swing," which deconstructs the elements of the big band sound, qualifies on both counts. What really comes shining through on this collection is the sheer weirdness of early-sound short films, caught somewhere between the slapstick of silent comedy and the music video of the future. How else to explain 1932's "The Musical Doctor," a surreal vehicle for Rudy Vallee, in which the 1920s crooner plays a physician prescribing music for health?

Description

"Blue of the Night" (1933, with Bing Crosby), "Musical Doctor" (1932, with Rudy Vallee and Mae Questel), "Singapore Sue" (1931, with Anna Chang and Cary Grant), "Office Blues" (1930, with Ginger Rogers), "Artie Shaw's Class in Swing" (1939, with Artie Shaw), "Her Future" (1930, with Ethel Merman), "A Lesson In Love" (1931, with Helen Kane), "Favorite Melodies" (1929, with Ruth Etting), "Meet the Boyfriend" (1930, with Lillian Roth), and "Dream House" (1932, with Bing Crosby). Bonus Performances from Kino's collection Studio Snapshots: Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys ("Sittin' on Top of the World"), Ginger Rogers & Jack Oakie ("Used to Be You"), Tallulah Bankhead ("It Had to Be That Way"), Kate Smith ("Here Lies Love"), Jeanette MacDonald ("Love Me Tonight"), Maurice Chevalier ("Louise"), and the Boswell Sisters ("Heebie Jeebies")

Customer Reviews:

"Where the Blue of the Night, meets the Gold of the Day," & then some!.......2005-06-28

What have we got here? The highlight of this collection is a 15-20 minute 3 song "short," wherein Bing Crosby chances upon a lady on a train who later fibs to him that she's engaged. Who's the lucky man, the gentleman asks? "Bing Crosby," she answers. He doesn't let on then, but later has this "news" announced to the press, and then shows up to meet her friends. All think he and/or she are pulling everyone's legs---until Bing sings "The Blue of the Night." It's a Mack Sennet short, but all the others herein are Paramount shorts. Of the best, we get "Boop-a-Doop Girl" Helen Kane wooing her professor; Rudy Vallee singing "Keep a lit-tle song, handy, wherEver you go, and NOTHing can everrr go--o wrong," as part of his role as a musical doctor; treating patients with song; "Meet the Boyfriend," a lively & expressive treat thanks to Lillian Roth's talents (she played arabella in the Marx Brothers' Animal Crackers (singing "Tell me dear, why am I so Romantic" to great effect); and last of the really good offerings has Ethel Merman in front of a judge singing for leniency in a 2-song performance. Less effective is a simple singing into camera by Ruth Etting---the songs are fine, but there's no drama and/or whimsy in this simple short film. We also have Ginger Rogers doing a decent job as a secretary inclined to break into song & the first appearance of Cary Grant on film (something you'll not really want to see actually, especially if you are a fan of the former Archie Leach, as he plays an awfully thin & annoying sailor on leave in a nightclub---with musical entertainent provided by Anna Chang). Bing Cosby makes another appearance to close out this selection, wherein he runs amok on a Hollywood set (which is nowhere near as entertaining and enjoyable as the Bing "short" that opens this DVD). "The Best of Swing" in the title refers to a single selection of Artie Shaw's Band. In other words, don't even consider this DVD if you are looking for "Swing." But if you enjoy musical shorts (6-20 minutes each---2 hours total for the DVD, including some bonus selections) then this is one of the best collections you're likely to come across. A bit pricey yes, but if you can't locate it through your library then you just might have to consider purchasing it; especially if you are a fan of---& wish to see---Bing Crosby, Lillian Roth, Rudy Vallee, and/or Ethel Merman in their prime. Cheers!

Early 1930's its NOT swing music.......2004-04-01

clips from movies about 60% music. no big band.

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